Can't maintain VFR - IMC in Florida

Our recent RV-10 trip found us wondering into deteriorating weather, and we weren't 100% prepared for it. Watch as we venture into instrument conditions.

[@steve2122]

Love the family aviation channel! Looking forward to more content. As someone who wants to build a hangar home and build a kit plane myself, you are both living my dream! Getting my CFI here in March, so hopefully I can start that adventure in the next couple of years. Love your RV-10, btw, great IFR set-up! Cheers!

[@FloridaFlying]

Awesome job. An RV-10 is my dream plane. I currently have an IFR capable RV-12. I plan on only doing very light IFR with it. It's kept me current with a Dynon HDX and garmin GPS175, l love that equipment

[@hotshotaero]

Very cool!

[@Pa27pilot]

Why do you hope to never have to request an IFR flight plan while in flight? Requesting a pop up IFR is a routine thing to do and should be done as soon as VFR is no longer possible just like you did which was the right thing to do.

[@hotshotaero]

Two reasons really: the controllers weren't really prepared for us to do so, and I think it's a small admission we probably should have filed an IFR flight plan at our midway stop.

[@Pa27pilot]

I wouldnt feel any apprehension about asking for a pop up ever. You guys did the right thing. I live in Chicago which is very busy airspace and its done all the time.@@hotshotaero

[@mikeryan6277]

My first solo was out of ISM back in 79, lived right down the street at the time.

[@jarrettleto]

This is why I would just file IFR any time airspace is an issue.

[@libertine5606]

This is why I say if you are going to "use" your airplane you need a instrument rating. Because you planned on a VFR trip but weather can always change and you always need a out. If you guys were VFR only, with passengers, it is very tempting to try to make the trip and get into a sucker hole with no way out. As a commercial pilot you can not operate 50 miles from your departure airport or at night without a instrument rating. That should tell us something about using our planes for cross country travel and not having to learn a "lesson" first hand.

[@hotshotaero]

It’s not reflected in the footage , but we definitely got boxed in while we were working on getting the clearance.

[@libertine5606]

Yes, but you had your "out" by having your IFR rating and you had communication with ATC. What you wouldn't want is to be boxed in and not have communication with ATC. Then you would have to climb in IMC without a clearance. Not good but better than running into a mountain. I did a lot of training in a 172, N739WE, that ended up as a coffin for two people scud running and one was a CFI. I really loved that plane, it deserved better. That is not where any of us should want to end up. @taero